Consumer Reports has tested the vehicles that it has purchased. And they are checking the range of expensive machines. And what they found out was that the Porsche 911 took earned the right to be called one of the best vehicles there is in the market. In fact, it topped the list of vehicles of Consumer Reports’ list of high performance sports vehicles and cars.

David Champion is the senior director of the Auto Test Center of Consumer Reports. He even assesses the Porsche 911 by saying, “The 911 wowed us enough with its acceleration, handling, and braking for us to rate it our top sports car. The 911 is also easy to drive, but its much less expensive Boxster sibling performed almost as well.”

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Today in the Atomic Labs we’ll be going through the installation of an atmospheric blow-off valve (BOV). So what, exactly, is this valve thingy and what does it do?

On a turbocharged engine, when the turbo spools up it pressurises the intake system – from the compressor, past the throttle body and through the inlet manifold, forcing more air into the combustion chambers. This is how a turbo produces more power, but I’ll go into the specifics in a later article.

When you take your foot off the accelerator pedal, the throttle body closes – the stream of pressurised air created by the turbocharger is now cut off from the inlet manifold. The only way it can escape is back up the intake stream, surging into the turbo compressor. This reversal of intake charge pulse can put additional strain on the turbo components, as well as reducing the compressor wheel’s rotational velocity. This means that the turbo will take longer to spool up when the throttle is opened again.

A valve placed before the throttle body cures this problem by allowing the pressurised charge to escape the intake system, keeping the compressor spinning and reducing turbo lag. I won’t go into the specific details of how the valve opens when needed, but if you want to know more then email me. Many turbocharged cars come with such a valve from the factory, but they are recirculator valves rather than BOVs – the compressed air that escapes is plumbed back into the intake before the turbo. BOVs vent this air to the atmosphere instead.

So why install an aftermarket BOV? They provide improved throttle response and can hold much higher boost levels compared to the factory-fitted version, and as a bonus because they vent to the atmosphere they provide that sought-after “psssht” sound when shifting gear or free-revving. Plus they look damn cool, if that’s your thing. (more…)

Jay-Z purchased a rather unique and expensive gift for girlfriend Beyonce Knowles’ 25th birthday – a 1959 Rolls Royce convertible which he revealed to her on Monday morning in the Time Warner garage. The vehicle is worth an estimated value of $1 million dollars, but the full amount paid for the car will probably be known only to the rapper and the dealer. Beyonce was reported to be speechless.

Opel presented the new Corsa in London. The most conspicuous optical feature of the new three-door Corsa is its sporty coup̩ form. The five-door also cuts a good figure with its short rear overhangs. The family resemblance of both variations to the Astra is obvious. On the occasion of the new Corsa edition going on sale, Irmscher Рthe specialist when it comes to upgrading and individualisation of Opel vehicles Рis offering an extensive sporty accessories programme for the three- and five-door versions.

carry on reading…

Sony has launched the NV-U81T and NV-U80 navigation units. Both of which comes loaded up with Sony’s Position Plus technology for more accurate positioning and routing even when the signal is weak. The unit itself has a 4.3-inch touchscreen display with voice commands and Bluetooth integration for hands-free calling via a cellphone. The NV-U81T includes a 4GB hard drive for map and information storage while the NV-U80 comes with 512MB of memory. They should both be hitting the shelves this November and will likely cost an arm and a leg. But it’s Sony!

Apollo, once the son of the god of war Zeus, the template for masculine beauty, is now the namesake of the breathtakingly uncompromising super sports car that combines aesthetics and function like no other…

The Gumpert Apollo is the perfect synthesis of a road vehicle and track car – two uses for the price of one. Its said that it evokes passion and driving pleasure beyond all expectations. With 650 bhp, 360km/h top speed and acceleration from 0 to 100km/h in a mere 3 seconds.

The silhouette of the Gumpert Apollo, which has been optimized in the wind tunnel, reflects its above-average performance capability. In its profile, the Apollo’s dynamic appearance is further enhanced by its dimensions and its streamlined, long and wide shoulder lines. The mid-engine layout is emphasized by the cockpit, which is clearly situated toward the front of the vehicle, and the long wheel base; both factors ensuring optimum driving qualities. Massive air inlets and outlets in the front, and on the side in front of and behind the doors, leave no doubt about its potency – they supply the two turbochargers and the high-performance braking system with enough fresh air to ensure that the car maintains optimum operation for long periods of time.

The goons at Microsoft have finally created a piece of Xbox hardware that interests me alot… the Wireless Racing Wheel with force feedback. They have further impressed my by including a force feedback version of Project Gotham Racing 3 – which in my opinion knocks the socks off Gran Tourismo by miles in the graphics, drivability and vehicle range departments.

The wheel has a sleek design and features “Dual Rumble Motors” (gamer freaks must be wetting their pants right now) for a very powerful… uhh, feedback. As for the wireless part – it uses the same impressive technology found in the normal controllers, giving you a wheel that can be mounted on your lap or on a table for you to race the way you want. Gimme Gimme!

Volkswagen has revealed its Iroc sports car concept at a special event in Berlin recently…

The Iroc marks the return of the Scirocco, Volkswagen’s iconic sports coupe, which made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show a whopping 33 years ago. Under the bonnet, the Iroc will feature Volkswagen’s TSI petrol technology, which uses a turbocharger and a supercharger to produce diesel-like consumption with impressive performance.Designed to maximise driving fun, the concept has a 210 bhp TSI engine, but a range of TSIs, starting from under 150 bhp, are also feasible.

Most distinctive, however, are the gauges and controls in the Iroc’s cabin. Two large and newly-designed round instruments form the visual centre of the cockpit. The driver looks into two cylinders with twelve illuminated bars which create a three dimensional segmentation within the instruments. The Iroc combines practicality with driving fun and expressive design in a car that as a possible series-production vehicle would be “attractively positioned in price” according to VW.

We can only hope eh?